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(No Mod Patented July 4, 1882.

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NITED lSTATES* PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM \V. WTRIGHTSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- ITALF TO THOMAS S. 'TRIGHTSON, OF SAME PLACE.

SUBlVlARINE TELESCOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 260,726, dated July 4, 1882.

Application filed Marchs, 1882. (Nomodcl.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. WRIGHT- so-N, ot' Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Submarine Telescopes; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same. v

My invention relates to the exploration of the bottom of rivers, harbors, and other bodies of water.

The object of the invention is to enable the observer to see any object upon or near the bottom from any convenient position above the surface.

rlheinvcntion consists substantially of a tube or tubular structure having an opening at the top for the observer to look in at, but closed at the bottom with glass, and preferably with a lamp placed in a recess, and with a special arrangement of the devices at the sides, whereby light is thrown upon the bottom and the observer at the top is enabled to see the bottom,

or any objects upon or near it.

Incarryin g out my invention, I prefer to use a lamp set in a recess in one side of the tube or tubular structure, with a. tube for the4 escape ofthe smoke ofthe lamp, if an ordinary lamp is used, and with glass at the bottom and around sents a back view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of method of mounting' the lamp.

In these drawings, A represents a tubular structure, made slightly tapering from bottom to top. lhe top of this may be of any convenient size for the use of the operator inlooking in to observe the bottom, and is preferabl)r covered with a hood, which incloses the head and shuts out the light around. the eyes of the observer.

Ihey tube may be eitherfround, square, or

As shown in the drawings, one side, which I have called the back,7 is made straight from top to bottom. Near .the bottom on this side I place a water-tight box, which forms a recess in the back of the apparatus, preferably made flaring Iand opening into theinterior of the tube. In this box (marked b) I place a lamp, c, behind which is a retlector, d, adapted to throw light downward toward the bottom. It is obvious that the box or recess must be ot' such size as to hold the lamp and conceal it from the view ot' the observer looking through the opening in the top.

Preferably I mount the lamp upon a pivot, so that it can be adjusted in position by tipping it forward more or less in order to bring the light at greater or less angle tothe bottom. In order to maintain the same relative position of the reflector to the lamp, I tix the rellector eithe'r directly to the lamp or to the standard which supports thelamp, as shown in Fig. 5.

In order that the lamp and the reflector' may always stand in a vertical position, whatever the inclination 0I the tube, I prefer to suspend the lamp in ordinary gimbal-joints, or by like means, so that it may have universal motion, the lamp being suspended so that the greater weight will be below the pivot, or, if necessary, the bottom part ot' the lamp may be made thicker and heavier for thatpurpose. This construction is shown more in detail in Fig. 5.

The bottom of the tube, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is made with the three sides inclined, and these inclines and the back below the lamp-box are made of glass, set in any suitable frame-work or sash made strong enough to bear the pressure of the water outside. The bottom is also made ot' glass, and this glass, as well as the glass about the sides, must be also strong enough to resist the pressure ofthe water.

The posit-ion ofthe reflector, as before stated, is such as to throw the light of the lamp upon the bottom.

Instead of the inclined sides, as shown in Figs. l and 2, I may continue all the sides in the same plane, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4; but

I prefer the construction first shown.

In case I desire to confine the light to one polygonal, and should be, of course,waterti ght. l side, I have provided shutters ff f for the back rolo and the two sides on each side-ot' the lamp, by means of which both those two sides and the bak maybe darkened and all the light thrown only through the glass opposite the lain p. These shutters, when not in use to close the glassupon any one of the sides, may be swung up and attached to the sides ofthe tube by means of buttons or hooks, or in any convenient way. The'shutters may be made of any hind ot" suitable material.

The tube for carrying off thel smoke is attached to the back, as shown at g. It enters the recess or box in which the lamp is located and extends up to the top. It may be made of ordinary gas-pipe or any other suitable ma.-

terial, it.beiug required only that it should be water-tight and have water-tight connection with the lamp-box.

Any suitable weights may be attached to the lower end of the tube iu order to sinkit in the water.

rlhe apparatus, as above described, may be used from a boat, raft, wharf, or any suitable standing-place, in any depth or kind of water, whether clear or muddy, through which the tube can extend.

In order to adapt the apparatus for different depths ot' water, I may make it extensible, either by adding sections with water-tight joints between, or by making the tube with telescoping parts, so that the upper parts may be drawn out in order to elongate it.

'lhe apparatus may also be used as a mov- 'iug device for searching upon the bottom by inouutingit upon a boat. For this purpose it may be mounted upon the stein ot' the boat by means of a rack-bar xed to the tube up and down the back thereof, and a pinion may be provided upon the boat, with a crank for tnrn ing the same, the pinion meshing into the gear, any suitable guides heilig provided for holding the apparatus and keeping the rack in gear with the pinion; or the apparatus may beheld to the boat and raised or lowered in any other convenient way.

the wires therefor being run down within the 5 tube, or attached thereto, and connected with any suitable generator above.

Where the wateris reasonably clear the apparatus may also be used with good effect,

without the aid of artificial light, by inclining 5 the apparatus so that the rays of the sun will strike the vertical glass on the back, through which glass it is reflected upon the bottom.

The lamp, instead ot being xed in the recess, may be attached to the end ot' a rod, so 6c that it maybe lowered into place or removed therefrom while the tube is in the water.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. Au apparatus`i'or inspecting the bottoms of ot' rivers, harbors, or other bodies of water, consisting ot' a tube having an opening at the top and closed at the bottom with glass, provided with a recess and lamp, substantially as described. 7c

2. The tubo A, open` at the top and having a glass bottom, the vertical glass back, and the inclined glass sides, substantially as described. 3. The tube A, having a glass bottom and glass sides, the hinged shutters, and the lamp 75 placed iu a recess, substantially as described. 4. The tube A, provided with a recess, a

suitable lamp placed therein, aud the smoke tube extending to the top, substantially as described. f 8c In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin g witnesses.

TILLAM TI RT \VRIGH'1`SON.

\Vitnesses: l K

CHARLES W. Strona,

JOHN Trios. WaIGu'rsoN. 

